5 Companies Did 'Extensive Contamination' Of Your NJ Water: DEP

New Jersey officials say they going after 5 companies that are allegedly responsible for "extensive contamination" of your water.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has identified five companies it says are responsible for the "extensive contamination" and directing them to fund millions of dollars in assessment and cleanup efforts, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced this week.

The directive issued requires the five companies – Solvay, DuPont, Dow DuPont, Chemours and 3M – to provide the DEP a detailed accounting of their use and discharge of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, collectively referred to as PFAS chemicals, in New Jersey.

Both substances have been linked to cancer and other health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some, but not all, studies in humans with PFAS exposure have shown that certain PFAS may:

• affect growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
• lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
• interfere with the body’s natural hormones
• increase cholesterol levels
• affect the immune system
• increase the risk of cancer

The directive requires information ranging from use and discharge of the chemicals through wastewater treatment plants, air emissions and sales of products containing the chemicals to current development, manufacture, use and release of newer chemicals in the state, according to a DEP release.

It also notifies the companies that the state will hold them financially responsible for the cost of remediation and treatment of PFAS-related contamination.

“The PFAS group of chemicals are ubiquitous in our environment and pose significant health risks to the public,” McCabe said.

“In issuing this directive, we are putting these five companies on notice that many years of contaminating New Jersey’s precious drinking water and other natural resources will not go unchecked.

"On behalf of all New Jerseyans, we will hold these companies accountable and insist that they step up to address the problem they have created.”

It's not known who may have been directly or indirectly impacted by the contamination. The Asbury Park Press, citing statistics from The Environmental Working Group, recently reported that nearly one in five New Jerseyans are delivered tap water that contains at least trace amounts of a chemical linked to cancer and low birth weights.

The EWG identified large utilities that accumulated or accrued the most violation points between October 2014 to September 2017 in New Jersey:

• Bloomfield Water Department, Bloomfield
• Trenton Water Works, Trenton
• Medford Twp Department of Muni, Medford
• Lacey Twp MUA, Forked River
• New Brunswick Water Department, New Brunswick
• Wallington Water Department, Wallington
• Belleville Water Department, Belleville
• South River W Department, South River
• South Orange Water Department, South Orange
• Belmar Water Department, Belmar
• Freehold Borough Water, Freehold
• Stone Harbor Water Department, Stone Harbor
• Elmwood Park Water Department, Elmwood Park
• Ventnor City Water & Sewer Utility, Ventnor
• Rockaway Twp Water Department, Rockaway Twp
• Freehold Twp Water Department, Keyport
• Verona Water Department, Verona
• Hackettstown MUA, Hackettstown
• Lyndhurst Water Department, Lyndhurst
• Clinton Water Department, Clinton
• Glassboro Water Department, Glassboro
• Totowa Water Department, Totowa
• Millville Water Department, Millville
• Berlin Water Department, Berlin
• Hamilton Township MUA, Mays Landing
• Park Ridge Water Department, Park Ridge
• Collingswood Water Depar, Collingswood
• Ocean Twp Department of Utilities, Ocean Twp
• Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority, Old Bridge Twp

You can find other contaminated sites here.

The DEP said the directive is "a first of its kind in the nation" by directing chemical manufacturers to conduct a statewide assessment of the damage caused and to establish a fund to remediate the impacts.

PFAS chemicals are used in the manufacturing of plastics, some of which are used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant coatings for upholstery, water-resistant breathable outdoor clothing and firefighting foams, according to the release.

They have been used to make brands such as Stainmaster, Scotchgard, Teflon, Gore-Tex and Tyvek. PFAS chemicals have been produced and used commercially and industrially for more than 60 years.

The chemicals can have dangerous effects when released into the air, land and water. Among the most well-studied PFAS chemicals are PFNA, PFOA, PFOS and GenX, a replacement for PFOA.

PFNA, PFOA and PFOS are discovered on a near-daily basis in New Jersey’s drinking water, groundwater, surface waters, sediments, soils, air, fish, plants and other natural resources, according to the release.

They are cause for concern because none of the chemicals are naturally occurring; they do not break down in the environment; and research suggests they pose a variety of human health risks, even at low exposure, especially to developing fetuses and infants.

“Now is the time for action at the state level,” said McCabe. “The current EPA plan leaves millions of Americans exposed to harmful chemicals for too long by choosing a drawn-out process that will delay establishing a federal maximum contaminant level for PFAS.”

The DEP issued the directive under the authorities granted by New Jersey’s Spill Compensation and Control Act, Water Pollution Control Act and Air Pollution Control Act. These state laws empower the DEP to act to prevent environmental pollution, enforce environmental laws and obtain documentation about the discharge of pollutants.

“The department has expended tremendous resources to investigate the presence of these substances in New Jersey’s environment, as well as monitor, treat, clean up, and/or remove these substances in impacted areas,” the directive states. “As a result, the Department has determined it is imperative to the protection of the public health and safety and the environment of New Jersey that such investigation, monitoring, testing, treatment, cleanup and removal continue, and that Respondents, not New Jersey residents, pay for these activities.”

To read the directive issued, visit https://www.nj.gov/dep/docs/statewide-pfas-directive-20190325.pdf